Tow treatment



Dec. 1, 1964 w. R. OSBAN 3,153,880

TOW TREATMENT Original Filed June 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.William R. Osbun BY/gw A T TOR/V5 Y Dec. 1, 1964 w. R. OSBAN 3,158,380

TOW TREATMENT Original Filed June 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.William R. Osban A 7' TORNE Y United States Patent Ofiice 3,158,880Fatented Dec. 1, 1964- 3,1583% TOW TREATP/EENT William R. #Dshan, 5912Erainard St, Sylvarria, Ohio Grigiual application June 18, 1962, Ser.No, 263,077. Divided and this application Dec. 6, 1952, Ser. No. 242,742

4 Claims. (ill. 8-151) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in the method of continuously treating with a suitabletreatment liquid endless lengths of filamentary material arranged in atow band.

The terms tow and tow band are intended to comprehend an association ina substantially parallel configuration of a relatively large number ofendless filaments which are not securely bound to each other and, assuch, are relatively free for displacement relative to each other by theexertion of forces tending to separate from each other the filaments ofwhich they are comprised. Such tow or tow band may comprise from a fewhundred up to several million or more continuous filaments arrangedsubstantially parallel to each other as a discrete bundle.

Within the context of this invention, the composition of suchfilamentary material is not important and, as such, it may comprise anyof the usual compositions from which filamentary materials may beproduced such as nylon, rayon, polyester, polyacrylonitride, vinylpolymers and copolymers, glass etc. The treatment liquid referred to maybe any suitable liquid with which it may be desired to uniformly treatthe filaments in such a tow whether it be for the purpose of scouring,washing, bleaching, dyeing, or applying other liquids, such as acids oralkalis, to impart useful properties to the filaments of which such towmay be composed.

More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement over themethod of Sellers, US. Patent 2,886,403, issued May 12, 1959, and hasfor an object improvement in the uniformity with which the treatmentliquid contacts the individual filaments within the tow band so as toproduce greater uniformity of treatment thereof.

Briefly, this improvement comprises continuously modifying thecross-sectional shape of the tow hand during its passage in a serpentinepath around the various rollers while applying the treatment liquidthereto. In the case of a relatively large tow band, this invention alsocontemplates sub-dividing such relatively large tow band into aplurality of smaller tow hands, all of which are led in parallel throughthe serpentine path and which are alternately expanded and contracted inwidth while the treatment liquid is being applied thereto. This novelprocess is preferably accomplished by replacing certain of thecylindrical rolls which define the serpentine path of Sellers, U.S.Patent 2,886,403 with a novel type of noncylindrical roll, such novelrolls being interspersed among the cylindrical rolls defining suchserpentine path. These novel rolls preferably comprise a center shaftabout which a plurality of wavy bars are disposed in a cage-likeconfiguration, such wavy bars being so arranged that any givencross-section perpendicular to the axis of such roll is circular but, asone moves from one end of the roll to the other, the circularcross-sections alternately increase and decrease in diameter.

For a clearer understanding of this invention, reference may be had tothe accompanying drawings which, taken with the subjoined description,depict an illustrative embodiment thereof, and wherein FIGURE 1 is aschematic view in elevation illustrating one form of apparatus forperforming the novel method of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial view taken on line II-II of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view partially broken away of a novelnon-cylindrical roll according to this invention.

Referring next to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIGURE 1thereof, an apparatus for performing the process of this invention isillustrated which is seen to comprise a plurality of upper rolls 11a,11b, 11c, 11d, lie, 11 11g, 11k, and 11f, and a plurality of lower rolls13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 137, 13g, and 13h defining a serpentine paththrough which tow 16 is led. Lower rolls 13:; through 1311 arepositioned within trough 18 so as to be immersed within liquid 19contained therein. Positioned on a level slightly below upper rolls 11athrough iii are a plurality of sprays 21 adapted to spray treatmentliquid onto tow band 16, the excess of such treatment liquid fallinginto trough 18 to overflow from outlet 24 along with excess liquid frominlet 23.

In accordance with this invention, the various rolls are of two types,one type being a cylindrical roll such as roll 11c (see FIGURE 2) andthe other being a novel non-cylindrical roll, such as 130 (see FIGURES 2and 3) interspersed among the cylindrical rolls.

The non-cylindrical rolls, such as 130, each comprise a central shaft27, which may be hollow or solid, journaled for rotation in bearings 28which are mounted on a suitable support, not shown. Shaft 27 is providedwith a plurality of annular supports 30, 301 to which a plurality ofwavy bars 31 are affixed, as by welding, in a cage-like configuration.Wavy bars 31' are all substantially identical to each other andsimilarly positioned so that the cage-like configuration thus producedabout central shaft 27 has a circular cross-section which varies in sizealong the length of roll 130. Each Wavy bar 31 preferably has a sinuousconfiguration wherein the portions of such bar closest to the axis ofthe cage-like configuration is smoothly curved (as illustrated inFIGURES 2 and 3) where the tow band contacts it. While the shape of thebar 31 in the regions out of contact with the tow band is not critical,it is preferred that they also be smoothly curved thereby giving theentire Wavy bar 31 an approximately. sinusoidal configuration.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, the novel non-cylindrical rolls of thisinvention are interspersed among the cylindrical rolls, as by using suchnovel non-cylindrical rolls at positions 13:1, 130, 13. 2, and 13g andby using cylindrical rolls at the remainder of the positions. It willthus be noted that in such case every fourth roll is a novelnon-cylindrical roll, although more or less such rolls may be used.

In operation, a relatively wide tow band 16 is introduced to roll 11::and is subdivided into a plurality of smaller tow bands 16a, 16b, 16c,16d, etc., which pass in a serpentine path around cylindrical rolls andnoncylindrical rolls which, as illustrated in an exaggerated fashion inFIGURE 2, alternately expand and contract the width or" each of suchrelatively narrow small tow bands being treated. This modification ofthe cross-sectional shape of the tow bands (from relatively wide andthin to relatively narrow and thick and vice versa) causes relativemovement of the individual filaments with respect to each other,permitting greatly improved penetration into the tow of treatment liquidfrom sprays 21 and/ or through 18 resulting in greater uniformity oftreatment of the entire tow by such treatment liquid.

In a specific installation, operated for treating an endless tow offilaments comprising a polymer containing at least acrylonitrilecopolymerized with one or more vinyl monomers in order to wash suchfilamentary material while in the wet gel state free of contaminants, ithas been found desirable to use an apparatus substantially asillustrated in FIGURES 1 to 3 and as described in detail above. This wasfound to provide improved removal of contaminants from such filamentarymaterial as com- .3 pared with a similar apparatus wherein all rollerswere of cylindrical configuration.

While this invention has been illustrated and described in terms of aspecific embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details therein except insofar as such limitations appearin the subjoined claims.

For example, when processing a tow which is relatively small (i.e.,comprises a relatively small number of filaments), it' may beunnecessary to subdivide such tow into a plurality of smaller tow bands.In such case, the non-cylindrical roller of this invention may beprovided with only a single region of relatively smaller crosssectionalarea between a pair of regions of relatively larger cross-sectional areain the fashion illustrated as a single section of roller 130 between anadjacent pair of annular supports 30, 30. Also, while the cylindricalroll has been shown as having a continuous periphery, it is readilyapparent that such cylindrical roll may comprise a plurality of straightbars arranged in a cylindrical cage-like configuration.

In all of these modifications, it is to be noted that the changingcross-sectional shape of the tow band being treated with liquid causes arelative displacement of the .various filaments of which such tow iscomposed thereby modifying the sizes and shapes of the intersticestherebetween causing the liquid to be circulated into and out from thebody of the tow band by a sort of inhaling and exhaling action generatedfrom the changing shape of the cross-section of the tow band.

, This application is a division of application Serial No. 203,077 filedJune 18, 1962 I claim:

1. In a method of treating with liquid an endless tow continuouslymoving in a serpentine path, the improvement comprising modifying thecross-sectional shape of said tow from relatively wide and thin torelatively narrow and thick and vice versa causing movement of theindividual filaments ofsuch tow relative to each other while applyingsaid treatment liquid thereto thereby causing substantially uniformtreatment of all filaments of said tow by said treatment liquid.

2. In a method of treating with liquid an endless tow continuouslymoving in a serpentine path, the improvement comprising alternatelyexpanding and contracting the width of said tow causing relativemovement of the individual filaments of such tow relative to each otherwhile applying said liquid thereto thereby causing sub-- stantiallyuniform treatment of all filaments of said tow by said treatment liquid.

3. In a method of treating with liquid a relatively large endless towband continuously moving in a serpentine path, the improvementcomprising subdividing said relatively large tow band into a pluralityof smaller tow bands, continuously modifying the shape of each of saidsmaller tow bands from relatively wide and thin to relatively narrow andthick and vice versa causing movement of the individual filaments ofsuch tow bands relative to each other while applying said treatmentliquid thereto thereby causing substantially uniform treatment of allfilaments of said tow band by said treatment liquid, and recombiningsaid smaller tow bands back into a relatively large tow band.

4. In a method of treating with liquid a relatively large endless towband continuously moving in a serpentine path, the improvementcomprising subdividing said relatively large tow band into a pluralityof smaller tow bands, continuously alternately expandingand contractingthe width of each of said smaller tow bands causing relative movement ofthe individual filaments of such tow bands relative to each other whileapplying said treatment liquid thereto thereby causing substantiallyuniform treatment of all filaments of said tow band by said treatmentliquid, and recombining said smaller tow bands back into a rela tivelylarge tow band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSGermany June 7,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,158,880 December 1, 1964 William R. Osban that error appears in theabove numbered pat- It is hereby certified (1 that the said LettersPatent should read as ent requiring correction an corrected below.

In the grant, lines 1 to 3, for "William R. Osban, of

Sylvania, Ohio," read William R. Osban, of Sylvania, Ohio, assignor toAmerican Cyanamid Company, of Stamford, Connecticut, a corporation ofMaine, line 12, for "William R. Osban,

his heirs" read American Cyanamid Company, its successors in the headingto the printed specification, line 3, for "William R. Osban, 5912Brainard St. Sylvania, Ohio" read William R. Osban, Sylvania, Ohio,assignor to American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation ofMaine Signed and sealed this 3rd day of May 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER ERNEST W. SWIDER Commissioner of Patents AttestingOfficer

1. IN A METHOD OF TREATING WITH LIQUID AN ENDLESS TOW CONTINUOUSLYMOVING IN A SERPENTINE PATH, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MODIFYING THECROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF SAID TOW FROM RELATIVELY WIDE AND THIN TORELATIVELY NARROW AND THICK AND VICE VERSA CAUSING MOVEMENT OF THEINDIVIDUAL FILAMENTS OF SUCH TOW RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER WHILE APPLYINGSAID TREATMENT LIQUID THERETO THEREBY CAUSING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMTREATMENT OF ALL FILAMENTS OF SAID TOW BY SAID TREATMENT LIQUID.